FDA Defines 'Gluten-Free' Food Labeling

WASHINGTON -- The use of the term "gluten-free" for voluntary food labeling has been defined by the FDA as food that contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

The new regulation will aid some 3 million Americans affected with celiac disease -- an autoimmune digestive condition "that can be effectively managed by eating a gluten free diet," the FDA explained in a statement -- in avoiding serious health consequences associated with ingesting gluten.

Gluten is a protein that occurs naturally in wheat, rye, barley, and cross-bred hybrids of those grains. The protein triggers the production of antibodies in celiac disease patients that can attack the lining of the small intestine, which can impede patients' ability to absorb nutrients and is associated with nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, stunted growth, infertility, miscarriages, short stature, and intestinal cancers.

The 20 parts per million standard is a new requirement for products that are labeled as "gluten-free," as well as "no gluten," "free of gluten," and "without gluten." The agency noted that many foods currently marketed as gluten-free meet these requirements, but those that fall short of the new requirement will have 1 year to comply.

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